Bicycle Accidents and Spleen Injuries

Bicycle Accidents and Spleen Injuries

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Many people ride bicycles as a mode of transportation while others may ride bikes for fun or for exercise. Regardless, there are numerous injuries that someone could sustain while riding a bike and while a significant amount of attention has been paid to head injuries, and appropriately so, there are many other serious injuries as well. One of these is a spleen injury, which could be life-threatening depending on the circumstances.

Bicycle Accidents: An Overview of Serious Injuries

With the numerous problems that plague this country's health system that can be related to weight, it is great that many people find enjoyment in riding a bike. It is a great form of cardiac exercise and can help people to keep their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol down; however, there are certain precautions that everyone needs to take when they ride a bike. First, remember that there isn't anything separating the rider from the road. It is vital to wear a helmet every time to reduce the chance of a traumatic brain injury or a fractured skull. Next, everyone should make sure to pay attention to their surroundings. Distracted and drunk driving continue to play a major role in auto accidents and should a driver collide with someone who is riding a bike, the consequences could be disastrous. Lastly, try to avoid riding at night whenever possible; however, whenever this is a necessity, make sure to wear brightly colored clothing and attach a flasher or reflector so that other people can see the bike. Unfortunately, even despite these measures, some people could wind up with serious injuries related to a bicycle accident. One of the traumatic injuries that are often overlooked is an injury to the spleen. It is important to understand some basic points about a splenic injury because they could be serious.

How Does a Spleen Injury Occur?

Many people say that once someone learns how to ride a bike, they never forget; however, no matter how strong someone is when it comes to riding a bike, there is always a chance that an accident could occur. The spleen is located on the left side of the body underneath the rib cage and while these ribs to provide some level of protection, they certainly aren't invincible. When someone falls off of their bike, they could fly over the handlebars. The handlebars could certainly impact someone up underneath their rib cage and lead to a spleen injury. On the other hand, spleen injuries can also occur when someone hits the pavement. If they land on a rock or a ridge on the right side of their rib cage, this could also lead to a spleen injury. Signs of a spleen injury include pain under the right side of the rib cage, bleeding, and generalized abdominal pain. It is important to note that if someone has mononucleosis, they are at an increased risk of developing a spleen injury because this virus can lead to an enlarged spleen, making it a larger target. Sometimes, the spleen could even rupture.

An Overview of Treatment of a Spleen Injury is a Bike Accident

When someone has sustained a spleen injury, there are several layers of treatment that have to be considered. First, once someone has been diagnosed with a spleen injury, it is important to try and assess whether or not the spleen has ruptured. While pain can be seen even with a spleen that has not ruptured, if the patient has a large bruise on the right side of their body, the diagnosis must be considered. An increased heart rate, feeling cold and clammy, feeling lightheaded, and falling blood pressure all indicate that a ruptured spleen is possible. If there is any concern about a rupture, the patient requires emergent medical attention immediately. A ruptured spleen can cause someone to bleed to death internally in a rapid manner. The individual will be transported to the hospital rapidly where they will be scanned to assess the patency of the spleen. If the spleen has ruptured, they will be taken to the operating room for an immediate surgical repair which could wind up being life-saving.

Serious Injuries Typically Require Hospitalization

When someone needs to spend time in the hospital for a repair of a serious injury, they could end up with a costly medical bill in addition to trying to figure out how to keep the household going in the face of missed time from work. Some people could be wondering where they can turn for help in this situation. Speaking with a compassionate legal professional can help a family figure out how they are going to get everyone where they need to go, pay their bills, and deal with the stress of a serious injury. All anyone needs to do is simply ask for help. There are compassionate ears listening. Do not be nervous to ask an experienced personal injury attorney for help when it is needed.

Image Attribution: The image from the top was found and used with permission from Unsplash.

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